Competitive retrieval game

ABSTRACT

A competitive game of the type having a platform, movable playing members on the platform guided by indirect manipulative means beneath the platform, and a limited number of playing pieces spaced above the platform to be seized by the movable members. The playing members and pieces have cooperative engageable surfaces, preferably in the form of an aperture in the playing pieces and an elongate extension on the playing member.

United States Patent Marvin 1. Glass Chlcago;

Jeffrey D. Breslow, Evanston, both 01', Ill. 780,696

Dec. 3, 1968 June 8, 1971 Marvin Glass 8: Associates Inventors Appl. No Filed Patented Assignee COMPETITIVE RETRIEVAL GAME 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl A63f 9/00 Field of Search 273/85 G,

F, 94 G, F, l, l M, l08;46/240 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 771,943 10/1904 Spicer 273/106X 2,454,478 11/1948 Roberts 273/1X 3,402,929 9/1968 Glass et al... 273/] 3,408,072 10/1968 Luchsinger 273/108 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman and McCord ABSTRACT: A competitive game of the type having a platform, movable playing members on the platform guided by indirect manipulative means beneath the platform, and a limited number of playing pieces spaced above the platform to be seized by the movable members. The playing members and pieces have cooperative engageable surfaces, preferably in the form of an aperture in the playing pieces and an elongate extension on the playing member.

COMPETITIVE RETRIEVAL GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to game devices.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art In the proliferous game art there are a multitude of competitive game devices, but of these competitive games, relatively few provide for simultaneous competitive action. Moreover, of even the few which provide for such simultaneous competitive action, even fewer are capable of being played on a comparatively even competitive scale by persons of diverse age groups. There is a continuing need and desire for such simultaneous action competitive games playable by persons of a wide age range and it is to the satisfaction of this need and desire that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed, in brief, to the provision of an improved simultaneous action competitive game.

The best mode currently contemplated by me for carrying out the invention includes the provision of an elevated platform with apertured playing pieces releasably suspended over the center of the platform. Playing members, such as simulated birds, having elongate extensions, such as simulated beaks for impaling the apertured playing pieces, are provided. The playing members are mounted on a slidable base having a magnetically attractable insert, such as a metal slug. A manipulating member is provided having an elongate handle and a magnet in a distal end. The playing members are positioned on the top of the platform with the manipulating members on the underside. Movement of the playing members is accomplished by positioning the magnetic end of the manipulating member against the underside of the platform and under the metal base of the playing members and remotely guiding the playing members in position to obtain a playing piece, to return to the starting position, to drop the playing piece and then to return for another playing piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged vertical section view of a portion of the game device shown in FIG. 1.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail, a specific embodiment thereof, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The game of this invention includes a platform element 12 having a plurality of generally parallel spaced pairs of sides l4, l6, l8 and forming the platform in a generally rectangular configuration. However, it is to be understood that any other suitable outline configurations, such as hexagonal or round or the like, could be utilized. Platform 12 includes an upper or top surface or face 22 and a bottom or lower surface or face 24, both of which are generally planar and parallel to each other. Preferably the platform 12 is made of a cardboard or plastic material. The platform 12 is maintained in an elevated condition relative to a supporting surface by means of a plurality of depending legs 26.

Generally medially of the opposite sides 14 and 16 of the platform there is provided upright members 28 and 30 which are received in notches 32 and 34, respectively, in each of the sides 14 and 16. The uprights 28 and 30 also assist in maintaining the platform in elevated condition with respect to a supporting surface and in addition, support a cross rod or supporting wire 36 which extends between mutually inwardly facing bosses 38 and 40.

A plurality of playing pieces 42 are intended to be releasably supported upon the cross rod or wire 36. Preferably, the playing pieces are constructed and arranged so as to be impalable or retrievable by an elongate extension-type member. In the preferred embodiment, the playing pieces are generally V-shaped, being a piece of metal or plastic bent upon itself to form the V-shape including a pair of legs 44 and 46 which diverge outwardly from a central vertex 48. Each of the legs 44 and 46 is provided with an opening 50 and 52 therein, respectively, to make the playing pieces impalable. In use, the playing pieces are supported on a cross rod or wire 36 by juxtaposing the interior of the vertex 48 over the rod 36 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The game of this invention further includes a plurality of playing members herein shown in the form of simulated birds 54. The playing members have an impaling member, herein in the form of an elongate simulated bird beak 56. The beak projects outwardly from a simulated body 58 supported on a mounting base 60. The interior of the mounting base is provided with a magnetically attractable insert, such as metal slug 62, and has a generally flat bottom as shown herein for ease of slidability of the base along the top surface 22 of the platform.

Further included in the game of this invention is a manipulating member 64 utilized for directing the playing member 54. Manipulating member 64 includes a generally elongate handle 66 terminating in a distal end or playing member moving end 68. The interior of the end 68 is provided with a magnet 70. As can be seen in the drawings, when the magnet 70 underlies the metal slug 62, the movement of member 66 will cause corresponding movement in the playing member 54. Since the platform member is preferably made of cardboard or plastic or a similarly thin inert material, the magnetic attraction between the elements 62 and 70 is undisturbed by the intermediate structure of the platfonn. It is to be understood that the location of slug 62 and magnet 70 could be reversed with the magnet 70 in base 60 and slug 62 in member 64.

To play the game, each of the players attempt to move their playing members 54 into position to retrieve the playing pieces 42 from the cross rod 36. Both players are supposed to seek to obtain the same playing piece. A player cannot attempt to obtain the next piece until the previous piece has either been removed or knocked down. When a player removes one of the playing pieces from the cross rod 36, he must return to the area of the edge of the platform for his respective side, such as the edge 18 or 20 and deposit the piece or he can attempt to take more pieces on the simulated bird's beak and then return a group of pieces to the rear of his area and deposit the same thereat. If at any time the playing member falls over, the player loses the pieces that were on the beak of the bird and he must return to a starting position at the rear of his area and begin again. Any pieces knocked off the wire are left on the playing surface until the round is over. When all of the pieces have been removed from the wire by the simulated birds, the game is over and the player with the most points is the winner. For some variety in the game, some of the pieces may be color coded and of a higher point value than others.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A simultaneous competitive game device comprising: an elevated platform means defining a game playing area on its upper surface; playing piece storage means associated with the game playing area for releasably storing playing pieces thereon; a plurality of playing pieces constructed and arranged for releasable storage on said storage means, said playing pieces having a first cooperative grasping means thereon;

playing members for manipulation about the playing area, said playing members having second cooperative grasping means for grasping a playing piece from the storage means and removing the playing piece therefrom; and means movable beneath said platform for manipulating said playing members about the game playing area for movement between the storage means and portions of the playing area removed therefrom.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein the playing piece storage means is elevated above the playing area.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein playing member grasping means is elevated above the playing area a distance substantially equal to the elevation of the playing piece storage means above the platform.

4. The game of claim 3 wherein the playing member grasp-.

ing means is an elongate extension thereof and wherein the ture therein.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein the storage means is positioned generally medially of the playing area and wherein the playing pieces are provided with plural apertures.

6. The game of claim 1 wherein the storage means comprises a bar extending across the playing area from side to side thereof.

7. The game of claim 6 wherein the playing pieces are generally V-shaped members having a vertex and two diverging legs with an aperture in each leg.

8. The game of claim 7 wherein the playing'platform is made of a thin inert material, the playing members are mounted on a slidable base, the manipulating means includes an elongate handle, and a magnet means is positioned in one of the playing members or manipulating means and a magnetically attractable element is placed in the other of the playing members or manipulating means. 

1. A simultaneous competitive game device comprising: an elevated platform means defining a game playing area on its upper surface; playing piece storage means associated with the game playing area for releasably storing playing pieces thereon; a plurality of playing pieces constructed and arranged for releasable storage on said storage means, said playing pieces having a first cooperative grasping means thereon; playing members for manipulation about the playing area, said playing members having second cooperative grasping means for grasping a playing piece from the storage means and removing the playing piece therefrom; and means movable beneath said platform for manipulating said playing members about the game playing area for movement between the storage means and portions of the playing area removed therefrom.
 2. The game of claim 1 wherein the playing piece storage means is elevated above the playing area.
 3. The game of claim 2 wherein playing member grasping means is elevated above the playing area a distance substantially equal to the elevation of the playing piece storage means above the platform.
 4. The game of claim 3 wherein the playing member grasping means is an elongate extension thereof and wherein the playing pieces cooperative grasping means comprises an aperture therein.
 5. The game of claim 4 wherein the storage means is positioned generally medially of the playing area and wherein the playing pieces are provided with plural apertures.
 6. The game of claim 1 wherein the storage means comprises a bar extending across the playing area from side to side thereof.
 7. The game of claim 6 wherein the playing pieces are generally V-shaped members having a vertex and two diverging legs with an aperture in each leg.
 8. The game of claim 7 wherein the playing platform is made of a thin inert material, the playing members are mounted on a slidable base, the manipulating means includes an elongate handle, and a magnet means is positioned in one of the playing members or manipulating means and a magnetically attractable element is placed in the other of the playing members or manipulating means. 